A Visual Chronicle of European Church Disasters

The continent has a long history of rebuilding houses of worship lost to fire, war or other causes

Eric Sylvers

Apr. 22, 2019

Old St. Paul’s, London
Dating to the 12th century, the church burned down in the Great Fire of London in 1666. By 1710 a new cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren was completed.

ALAMY

Cathedral of Notre Dame, Reims
Located between Paris and the southern Belgium border, the 12th-century structure was near the front-line trenches as the French and Germans squared off in 1914 at the beginning of World War I. Temporary scaffolding surrounding the church caught fire when the Germans shelled the city.

THE GRANGER COLLECTION

Cover

Women removing debris from the shell of the Hof Kirche, the Catholic cathedral in Dresden, Germany on Feb. 13, 1946.

FRED RAMAGE/KEYSTONE/GETTY IMAGES

Disclaimer

The roof, similar to that of Notre Dame in Paris, sustained severe damage. The church, which served as the setting for the coronation of 25 kings of France reopened in 1935 after an extensive renovation.

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